Blizzards blamed for flat freight traffic

U.S. freight carload traffic for the week ending Dec. 18 was roughly breakeven measured against the comparable week in 2009, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday, thus continuing a trend of moderate gains over the prior year. U.S. intermodal traffic for the same week notched a 5.0% gain over the year-earlier period. AAR cited the effects of blizzards throughout the Midwest for the lackluster freight traffic numbers on U.S. railroads. 

Nontheless, 12 of the 19 carload commodity groups increased from the comparable week in 2009, AAR said. Commodities posting double digit gains in loadings included: farm products excluding grain, up 46.5%; metals and products, up 16.9%; lumber and wood products, up 15.6%; stone, clay, and glass products, up 14.5%; and coke, up 12%. Commodities reporting double-digit declines were non-metallic minerals, down 24.6%, motor vehicles and equipment, down 17%, and primary forest products, down 10.3%. 

Canadian freight carload traffic for the week rose 8.5% from last year, with intermodal up 4.5% from 2009. Mexican freight carload traffic slipped 0.3% from the comparable week in 2009, though intermodal rose 7.0%. 

Combined North American rail volume for the first 50 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads was up 9.2% from last year, with intermodal up 14.6% from 2009 levels.